Come to Raise the Dead
by Therm
Summary: Chapter Two Added! They were in a war zone. They dealt with death and destruction constantly. But never like this. Horror & M*A*S*H, together at last.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Come to Raise the Dead  
><strong>Summary:<strong> They were in a war zone. They dealt with death and destruction constantly. But never like this.  
><strong>Notes:<strong> Horror theme throughout.  
>Title and lyrics below are from the beautiful 'One' by U2.<p>

_'Have you come here for forgiveness? Have you come to raise the dead?  
><em>_Have you come here to play Jesus to the lepers in your head?'_

1.

He wondered what he was here for.

Not just Korea, a vicious war zone, but why he was even living. Why he even existed. The rational part of his mind told him over and over that he saved plenty of people's lives and that he made a huge difference being here.  
>Of course, the irrational part of him was able to scream a lot louder and make him pay more attention to it.<p>

_He knew that kid didn't have a chance and yet he still spent four hours working on him just to make him suffer a little longer, drag his death out a bit more. 'I thought it was your job to stop people suffering, not extend their agony'. He shook his head against the thought, not that it would stop him. He knew he was tormenting himself but he deserved it. Everyone else had told him it was a lost cause but for whatever reason, this day, he wouldn't listen. Even the Colonel had told him to reconsider but Hawkeye used his position as Chief Surgeon to do it anyway. He didn't have authority over Potter, but the decisions regarding patients came to him and he was going to use it to his advantage. Just this once. Maybe this would be different, he told himself. Maybe if he worked on this kid, even as badly hurt as he was, he'd be able to save him. Maybe he wouldn't have to watch the kid get carried out of here with a toe tag._

_He'd been kidding himself of course. He went to post-op after finishing in OR and already found a disheartening set of figures on the kids chart. He looked at the soldiers name. Jake Merriweather.  
>He sat by the boys bed for a while, watched him breath. Watched him suffer. Watched him slowly die. <em>

_He watched him exhale his last breath and then nothing. Part of him, the doctor poised for any emergency, wanted to start trying to save him, but he knew. Knew that he'd already made this death last longer than it should have. He should have let him go. _

_He sat next to the bed for a while. The nurse on duty came over, "Hawk, we can take care of this now." _

_He shook his head. "No, it's okay. I might as well see it through to the end," he thought for a moment before continuing. "I'm just gonna get a bit of fresh air and I'll be right back, okay? I'll sort it." _

_She nodded at him, a quick hand on his shoulder before continuing. Then he'd stepped outside. _

And now here he was. Sat outside post-op, not quite ready to go back in. He could just get the nurses to sort the rest of it out. It wasn't his job now. His job was a doctor, a healer. But he'd failed at that so maybe for the night he'd play a different role.  
>He rubbed at his eyes tiredly. He was always tired. He couldn't remember a time here feeling well rested. There was no rest. No peace.<p>

"Pierce, how's the boy you were working on?"

Hawkeye looked across to see Charles making his way towards post-op. His look said it all as Charles' demeanour changed. "Ah."

"'Ah' indeed," Hawkeye said, slightly mimicking Charles accent. "I guess I should have listened to you and BJ. Hell, even Margaret was trying to talk me out of it. Some thing is just not right when your nurse is a better judge than the doctor."

"East to say it now but if the boy had survived then we would look the fools."

"Instead of me," Hawkeye retorted quickly.

"Pierce, if the worse thing you do as a doctor is refuse to give up on your patient, then it's hardly a flaw, is it?"

Hawkeye looked up at Charles for a moment and saw that there was sincerity coming from him. He might not show it as freely as BJ, but he wasn't heartless. He wasn't a Frank Burns replacement, he was his own man. And a good man at that. "Thank you, Charles. That helps a lot."

"You should get some rest."

"Actually I'm not finished in here yet. I wanna put this one to bed as it were."

**A/N:** So, a short and sweet start but from the next chapter the fun should begin. Reviews are welcome. Always. :)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks to my one reviewer for the start of this story. This chapters a lot longer so I hope you enjoy it. One small thing is in this first line, I mention the camps version of a morgue. I'm not sure what they would do with bodies at the M*A*S*H so I just made something up. Poetic license and all that. :)

Hawkeye had helped take the body over to the camps version of a morgue. In the morning, his body would be carted away on a bus full of corpses. The corpsman who had helped him with body now left him alone. He wasn't quite ready to go back to the swamp right now. He guessed BJ would be asleep since it was late into the night now. In fact, he assumed it would be morning. He should get some rest. There was no saying that choppers wouldn't be here at any time, the compound once again filled with soldiers clinging to life.

He yawned tiredly. He was too beat to force himself to stay awake much longer.

A sudden movement of the the boys arm caught his attention and for one stupid moment, his mind flashed through the idea that he wasn't dead. Then he gripped onto reality. He'd seen dead bodies have these spasms of movement before. He always had hated it. _Leave_, he told himself. _Leave before you get sucked into a pit of despair. _  
>Tomorrow would be a new day.<p>

He could only hope it would be better.

oOo

BJ Hunnicutt refused to open his eyes.

He was awake, had been for a while now, but he wanted to hang onto the idea of sleep for a little while longer, not ready to give up on how nice it was to be able to stay where he was.  
>It amazed him that he was able to sleep at all here. He remembered his first few nights here so well. He'd watched Hawkeye quickly sink into sleep and he'd just lay there, exhausted from his trip and working almost as soon as he'd got to camp, but unable to switch his mind off. He was trying to process it all still. Being in Korea, in a war zone, so close the the front. Even the camp in the middle of the night seemed full of noise still. The sounds of the Korean night-life were something he wasn't yet used to. Hawkeye, and at that time Frank, were accustomed to it. It didn't bother them. All BJ could do was lay there and wonder how safe they were. They were living in tents after all. Anything that got dropped on them would kill them. A sniper could take a shot at any one of them easily enough. He was terrified to sleep and yet, after a few more days, it became so routine and he became so exhausted by the work that he never seemed to notice those noises any more.<p>

So even now, as he heard everyone in camp go about their daily routines, he just kept his eyes closed. Let them carry on. He knew that his sleep wouldn't be interrupted unless an emergency occurred. Sometimes he felt lucky to be a doctor.  
>The enlisted men had to work just as hard and just as long as the doctors and nurses, yet they'd never have any let up. When the medical personnel had a break because of a ceasefire, the cooks still had to cook. Of course, it was a little easier to learn how to cook and egg than it was to become a doctor but that was beside the point.<p>

BJ opened his eyes as he heard Father Mulcahy's voice outside. The tents had the mosquito netting up and he was able to see the priest walking and talking with one of the nurses as they entered the Mess tent. Another thing that didn't bug him any more. Being on display for all to see when the mosquito netting was up. Bad enough to be constantly sharing a tent with two other men, strangers at that. But when you considered the fact that no matter what you said or did during those warm days could not only be heard but seen by everyone, well, it took some getting used to.

BJ was relieved that he considered himself a pretty carefree man before being drafted. He adjusted. He knew that it was temporary and eventually, God willing, he would get home again and back to Peg, Erin and his privacy. BJ turned on his cot and looked across the Swamp. Charles bed was empty. If he remembered rightly, Winchester was on duty last night. He was certain Potter was on the next shift. He glanced across to him other bunkie's bunk to see Hawkeye laying on the cot, not looking very well rested.

"Morning," BJ greeted.

Hawkeye cast his gaze over to BJ, as though he needed to see who it was before he replied. He managed a weak smile and replied BJ's greeting.

"You okay?"

Hawkeye sighed, looked thoughtful for a moment. "Yeah, I guess so. I just..." He cut himself off. He didn't want to go on to BJ about it after spending the whole night obsessing over it.

"That kid you worked on didn't make it."

"I should have known better, should have listened to what everyone else was telling me." Hawkeye shook his head and got up off the bed. "I'm sorry, Beej, I've gone over this all night."

"Doesn't seem to have helped much.

"I'll be fine," Hawkeye dismissed. "You want to grab some breakfast?"

"Sure," BJ said getting out of bed himself and starting to dress.

Klinger came from the Swamp door before BJ had finished dressing. "Sorry to disturb you Sirs, but Captain Pierce, Colonel Potter is requesting your presence in his office right away, Sir."

"Okay, thanks Klinger," Hawkeye said, getting up and making his way to the door. "Hey Beej, save me some of the good stuff, okay?"

BJ smiled, "I'll try but you know what it's like at this time. We'll have all the leftovers."

oOo

Hawkeye strode across to the Colonel's office, where Potter was sat at his desk, filling in some paperwork.

"You wanted to see me Colonel?"

Potter looked up "Pierce, you've got a missing body."

"What?"

"Your boy... Merriweather. There's no body."

"No body? That's impossible. I took him to the morgue myself. Well, with a Corpsman obviously."

"Well, the bodies missing."

"Okay, so what do you want me to do about it?" Hawkeye asked, not sure exactly where this was going.

"Well, Winchester happened to mention that you were, what's the word, determined to see it through to the end."

"Right."

Potter hesitated. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to say this next bit without implying Hawkeye had flipped. "Do you think that maybe you, erm..."

"Sir, they found the body," Klinger said, interrupting.

"Where?"

"On the road."

"The road? Pierce?"

"Are you saying you think that's where we took him?" Hawkeye demanded.

"Actually, he took himself. He's not dead. He was walking up the road," Klinger explained.

"That's impossible."

The office phone started ringing. "Klinger, I'll get this, I want you to sort out those requisition forms I asked for yesterday. Pierce, go and sort out your patient," Potter left no time for response, picking up the phone as soon as he was finished.

Hawkeye and Klinger both left the office. "Where's the kid, Klinger?"

"Up past Rosie's bar. Zale was keeping an eye on him."

"Thanks Klinger."

Hawkeye raced up past Rosie's bar where he found his formerly dead patient, wondering slowly away from camp. "Hey, kid?" Hawkeye called, slowing down his pace so he didn't startle the youngster. He came level with him, but Jake made no movement to stop his slow amble away from camp.

"Need any more help, Captain?" Zale asked. He'd kept his distance and didn't seem to interested in hanging around any longer.

"No, I'm fine," Hawkeye said, and watched Zale leave. "Jake?" Hawkeye tried again. He reached for the boys hand and was shocked at the level of cold he felt. He quickly shook off his jacket and placed it over the boys shoulders. "Come on, Jake, how about we get you back to camp, huh? Warm you up a bit."

The boys head slowly started to turn towards Hawkeye. His eyes seemed clouded and unseeing. His skin pale. Hawkeye still had a hold of the boys hand and slipped his grip up towards his wrist, feeling for a pulse. When he couldn't locate it there, he tried the boys neck. A sick feeling washed over Hawkeye as he began to question his own sanity. Maybe it was him. Maybe he couldn't find the pulse on this kid and that's why he'd thought he was dead last night, when clearly he wasn't.

He re-directed them both so they were heading towards camp and took a slow, painful journey back.

oOo

BJ had finished breakfast and was leaving the Mess tent when he saw Hawkeye walking slowly towards camp with an apparently injured man besides him. BJ made his way towards the pair, grabbing a wheelchair by one of the tents to assist the kid.

When BJ reached the pair, he realised just who the kid was. "That's the kid you were working on?"

"Jake," Hawkeye filled in.

"What the hell is he doing walking around out here"" BJ ranted, not directed at Hawkeye, but he'd seen the extend of the boys injuries.

"Beej, I thought this kid died. I think..." Hawkeye suddenly felt some sort of incredible pressure upon himself. He took a breath to try and control it, but it didn't seem to help. "I think you need to take care of him, okay? I don't think I can do it any more." Hawkeye had been guiding the kid, gently guiding him by the arm and now handed him over to BJ. Everything inside him made him want to run away from this, but he kept control with what little dignity he had and walked off.

"Hawk?" BJ called after him, concerned by his friends behaviour. But as concerned as he was, Hawkeye would have to wait a moment because this kid needed him more. He looked like death.  
>BJ gently helped the boy sit in the wheelchair and took him straight to post-op.<p>

oOo

Colonel Potter sat in his office with both Hunnicutt and Winchester.

They all shared the same look of confusion and concern.

"I just don't understand it, Colonel. I checked the boy three times myself," Winchester said, perplexed at the situation.

"I don't get it either, Winchester. I mean when you two boys first told me I thought it was going to be a case of me being able to teach two younger doctors something new, something from my own experience. But I've never seen anything like this before."

"What do we do with him? We can't treat him, we can't send him anywhere," BJ asked.

"I don't want this getting out around camp. I don't want anyone to panic. I say we set the boy up in the VIP tent. We could do with letting Margaret in on this as well because one of us needs to be with him at all times and if we have too many wounded show up, we might have to sacrifice Margaret in OR to watch over the boy."

"What are we watching over him for? Signs of life?" Winchester asked.

Potter shook his head. He was as stumped by this as the other two men. "First things first. Lets get the boy moved. Winchester, go take care of that. Get Margaret to help you and when you're in the privacy of the VIP tent, let her know everything that we do."

Winchester nodded his head and left the office. Potter turned to BJ. "Worried about Pierce?"

BJ nodded, tearing his eyes away from the corner of the desk he's been so intently staring at. "I saw Hawk earlier and he just seemed so... overwhelmed."

Potter took a bottle and two glasses from the cabinet and poured them both a drink. BJ looked at him for a bit, before following Potter's lead and downing it. "Why don't you have a little look around, see if you can find him? Set his mind at ease a little. He can't have gone far."

"Thanks Colonel."

It was what BJ needed to hear, what he needed to be doing. Plus it would help to alleviate some of the guilt in letting Hawkeye go in the first place.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

When BJ caught up with Hawkeye, the darker haired man was in the officers club, nursing a drink seemingly untouched on his table. His elbow was resting on the table, his hand supporting his head and a clear look of worry etched into his features.

BJ wasted no time in sitting beside his friend. "He has no pulse," BJ said straight away. "We've all checked him over and none of us can explain it, but from all accounts, that kid seems dead."

Hawkeye looked at BJ for the longest moment, almost like he was trying to decide if this was BJ's most elaborate prank yet, before he seemed to pick up on the sincerity BJ displayed. "I thought I was losing my mind, Beej..." Hawk said, eyes closing in relief for the longest moment.

"I think I'd have thought the same if it had happened to me, Hawk. Trust me, it's not you." BJ could see the weight it lifted off his friends shoulders.

"So what's happening to the kid now?"

"Potter wants us to get him in the privacy of the VIP tent and resting, then try and decide what to do about it. We can't feel a heartbeat either. I'm wondering if this is something no one's seen before. I've never heard of something like this. No sign of a heartbeat or pulse but moving under his own power? That's some crazy stuff."

"You're telling me," Hawkeye replied. "Maybe it's worth going through some of those medical journals, Beej. See if we can find any mentions of it anywhere else."

"It can't hurt," BJ agreed.

oOo

A dozen wounded men came into the compound a few hours into Hawkeye and BJ's research. They beat the weather by ten minutes as a heavy snow began to fall.

By the time the doctors were finished in surgery, the ground was white from snow, the frigid air chilling them all after the warmth from O.R.

"Well, I think I've had enough excitement for one day. I shall be heading back to the tent to indulge in some Beethoven before turning in for the night. Gentlemen."

"Wanna hit the books some more?" Hawkeye enquired.

"As much as it pains me to do so, I need to refuel first. Rest stop in the Mess first?"

"We might as well take the journals in there. If Charles is listening to his music well never be able to concentrate."

"Might as well, at least we'll have a constant coffee supply to keep us going." BJ mused. Hawkeye yawned and BJ had to suppress his own. "You sure you don't need some rest first, Hawk? You look beat."

"I'm in post-op in a few hours so research, post-op then sleep."

"Don't forget we need to work out some shifts for me you and Winchester to sit with Steiner."

"Right. Who's with him now?"

"Kelly and Margaret's taking over a little later."

Hawkeye nodded before yawning again. "I'll go get the research. Make some strong coffee for me, will you? I'm just going to check on our patient first."

BJ nodded as he headed off.

oOo

It was near the end of Hawkeye's post-op shift and he was tired.

The research and given them nothing and he'd bought the journals with him into post-op to continue while BJ headed back to the Swamp to get some rest. He was going to take a turn sitting with Steiner to let the nurses have a rest.

Hawkeye found himself wishing Mulcahy was around. He was a good listener, always some sound advice to offer and right now, Hawkeye needed to hear it. Hawkeye picked up the tin of beans that BJ had bought over earlier off of the stove. The can had warmed up enough that he'd be able to enjoy something warm to combat the coldness of the room. "Damn," he muttered loudly.

"Everything okay?" Nurse Able asked him quietly.

"Yeah, I just caught my hand on the side of the can."

"You need me to get a doctor?" she asked with a smile.

"I think I'll live," Hawkeye replied, grabbing a tissue to absorb the blood that had sprung from the cut.

"Cap'n Pierce?" Klinger said as he came over to the doctor. "Message from Major Houlihan, she said did you want her to take a double shift with Steiner?"

"No, why'd I want her to do that?"

"I don't know, Sir, do you want me to relay the message back to her?" Klinger asked.

"No need for a middle man, Klinger. Able? Keep an eye on things here. I'm just going to the VIP tent. Send someone for me if you need me, okay?"

"Yes Doctor."

Hawkeye pulled on his coat and hat and quickly headed over to the VIP tent.

"How's he doing, Margaret?" Hawkeye asked as soon as he stepped inside, heading towards the stove to warm himself up.

"No change," she replied.

"I wasn't expecting one, I was just kinda hoping..."

"Me too. Did Klinger pass on my message?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it. BJ's taking over from you and I'll take over from BJ."

"I hope you're planning on getting some rest before then."

"Straight after post-op."

"You're hurt!" Margaret exclaimed, suddenly noticing the blood on Hawkeye's hand. She went over to him straight away, inspecting the wound while he told her it was nothing serious and how he'd acquired it. She fussed over it nonetheless, ignoring his slight protests. A small spot of blood dripped onto her hand while she was tending to him which she didn't even notice.

"I best get back to post-op. Come and get me if there's any changes."

"If there are any changes while you're asleep I'll tell BJ."

Hawkeye smiled at her warmly, before heading back out into the cold.

Margaret sat back in the chair and sighed. She wished the cold snap would end so they could get this soldier transferred to somewhere more equipped than a M*A*S*H to deal with him. "Do you need anything?" she asked him, as she did frequently, hoping to get some words from him.

He jerked slightly. He hadn't done that before. She sat forward, poised to move. Another jerk of his body and Margaret was sat on the edge of the bed beside him. She touched his head with her hand, he was icy cold still. His eyes looked more clouded than she remembered them, the whites of his eyes looking bloodshot. "Shall I get the doctor for you?" she asked, shaking her head as she locked eyes with him, hoping to encourage some sort of communication from him.

He raised his hand slowly, stretching his cold fingers until they brushed against her skin. She shuddered at the cold touch but let him grip her. He was trying to tell her something.  
>A feeble groan escaped his lips as he pulled her hand towards him, up towards his mouth. She knew what he was going to do, a gentlemanly gesture she'd received before, a quick kiss on the hand as a thank you. She smiled, started too until she felt the scraping of his sharp teeth against her skin, enough to draw blood. She snatched her hand back away, looked at him in disgust and shock at what he'd done.<p>

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, voice sounding weaker than she'd have cared for.

When he moved slightly, as though he were to attempt to get up, Margaret rushed for the door, knocking the chair over in her haste.

She raced into post-op, knowing Hawkeye would still be in there. She did her best to pull herself together, knowing that she'd frighten her nurses or the patients if she were hysterical. She rationalised it as she'd made her way out into the snow. He was a very sick man, who knew what could be wrong with his mind when his body was a mystery to them.

It was late in the evening now and Colonel Potter had left his office some time ago. It gave them the perfect place to talk privately. "Pierce, I need to speak to you about Private Steiner she said. Meet me in the Colonel's office as soon as you're finished," she said, never slowing her stride through the room.

Hawkeye finished up talking to one of his patients and followed after Margaret. She was helping herself to a drink from Potter's cabinet when he got there. "What's wrong?"

Margaret spun around a little surprised by Hawkeye's presence. She seemed agitated and now Hawkeye was able to see her properly, he could see how shaken she looked. "Margaret?" he bellowed at her.

She closed her eyes against his loudness, knew that she was scaring him with her prolonged silence. "Private Steiner... made some movement."

Hawkeye looked confused by her words and she held her hand out to show the area of skin where his teeth had grazed against her. "What is that?"

"I think he tried to bite me,"

"Bite you? Why would he bite you, Margaret? Did he say anything?"

"No... he erm... he was moving, his body was jerking a little bit and I thought he was going to have a fit, so I went over to him. I tried to get him to talk but he didn't say anything. And then he took my hand and he made a noise, a moan, he might have been in pain and then the next thing I know his trying to bite me.

Hawkeye looked dumbfounded at her. "Okay so he bit you and then what did you do? Did you sedate him, reason with him, make sure someone stayed with him, watched him?" his voice was raising with every word in that typical way of his.

"No, I came straight here," Margaret said, slightly ashamed. Hawkeye seemed to dismiss the incident as anything serious and now she'd said the words out loud to him, she wasn't sure that she reacted the right way. He cheeks reddened a little as Hawkeye stared at her a little too long before he snapped himself out of it and paced the room. "Okay, okay. You stay here, I'll go over and check on Steiner."

"No! You can't go over there, what if he tries to attack you?"

"Look, he caught you by surprise, maybe he even caught himself by surprise. It'll be fine, okay?"

"Okay, just be careful?"

"I will." 


End file.
